Integrated circuits and their assemblages are typically handled, shipped, and stored in packaging material such as rigid containers, plastic bubble holders sealed with a plastic tape (denominated "tape and reel carriers") plastic bags, and polymer foam. For a wide variety of integrated circuits, electrostatic charge/discharge and possibly corrosion protection must be provided to avoid destruction or serious degradation of the integrated circuit during storage, shipping and use. Static electricity discharges from a person to a device being handled (an occurrence common during the winter season) is often sufficient to produce such damage. For example, it has been found that factory workers can generate electrostatic potentials in excess of 20,000 volts simply by walking on a factory floor. The friction between the sole of the footwear and the floor material causes a high siatic smile voltage potential to develop on the worker. If the worker comes into close proximity to an electrostatic sensitive device, the charged worker can cause a discharge to the device and consequently damage the product.
Various means have been attempted to provide electrostatic or corrosion protection. The first such device is a dissipative strap which is placed around the user's ankle or in the shoe and which remains in contact with the heel. When the user generates an electrostatic potential by walking on a floor, the charge is substantially neutralized by the heel grounding device. However, some of the problems with this device include user's failure to properly attach the device to the ankle and heel; failure of electrical component due to wear; or irregular walking, which reduces the effectiveness of the device since the grounding device may not work properly until the heel comes into sufficient contact with the floor.
A second type of device is a static dissipative shoe. Typically, these shoes fall in the electrostatic discharge range of 10.sup.6 to 10.sup.9 ohms/sq when measuring resistance from the bottom of the sole to the inside sock surface. To date, the shoe construction has relied on shoes filled with volatile organic compounds to create a static dissipative resistivity. Such organic compounds evaporate with time and rely on atmospheric moisture to provide the electrostatic dissipative characteristics. Moreover, the organic evaporation considerably limits the useful life of the device. Accelerated evaporation can occur from leaching into carpets, storage in high temperature conditions, walking on hot surfaces and walking in water such as rain puddles. As well, in dry environments or high altitudes the evaporation rate of the organic may be accelerated.